Eminem: “Hip-Hop Saved My Life, Man”

Facebook.com/EminemEminem has accomplished a lot professionally and conquered his personal demons. In the new issue of Rolling Stone, the rapper candidly reflects on his sobriety and achievements in hip-hop.

“I’m as happy as I can be, I guess,” Em reveals, “Hip-hop saved my life, man. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been even decent at. I don’t know how to do anything else. I think they have a word for that — what do they call it? Idiot savant?”

Slim Shady, whose latest album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2, has gone platinum after two weeks, also spoke about drawing inspiration from the Beastie Boys as well as other rap pioneers.

“Being a student of hip-hop in general, you take technical aspects from places,” he says. “You may take a rhyme pattern or flow from Big DaddyKane or Kool G Rap. But then you go to Tupac, and he made songs. His f**king songs felt like something — ‘Holy sh**! I want to f**king punch someone in the face when I put this CD in.’ Biggie told stories. I wanted to do all that sh**.”